INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

INTRODUCTION
"Industrial relations is an art, the art of living
together for purposes of production. The parties while working together learn this art by acquiring the skills of adjustment. J. Henry Richardson Industrial relations are the relationships between employees and employers within the organizational settings. The field of industrial relations looks at the relationship between management and workers, particularly groups of workers represented by a union.

 Industrial relations has three faces: science building, problem solving, and ethical. In the science building phase, industrial relations is part of the social science. Here industrial relations is studied in context with labour economics, industrial sociology, labour and social history, human resource management, political science, law, and other areas. In the problem solving phase, industrial relations seeks to design policies and institutions to help the employment relationship work better

 In the ethical phase, industrial relations contains strong normative principles about workers and the employment relationship, especially the rejection of treating labour as a commodity in favour of seeing workers as human beings in democratic communities entitled to human rights.

OBJECTIVES
To safeguard the interest of labour and management To avoid industrial conflict or strike and develop harmonious relations To raise productivity to a higher level To establish and promote the growth of an industrial democracy To improve the economic conditions of workers Socialization of industries

 Vesting of a proprietary interest of the workers in the industries in which they are employed

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE
Industrial Dispute means any dispute or differences between employers and employers or between employers and workmen or between workmen and workmen which is connected with the employment or non-employment or the terms of employment or with the conditions of labour of any person.

CAUSES FOR INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE

Economic
wages , bonus and allowances conditions for work, working hours, leave and holidays without pay unjust layoffs and retrenchments.

Non-Economic
victimization of workers ill treatment by staff members sympathetic strikes political factors indiscipline

SETTLEMENT MEASURES FOR ID

Voluntary methods
Collective bargaining Trade unions Joint consultation Standing orders Grievance procedure Code of conduct

Statutary methods Conciliation Voluntary Arbritration Adjudication

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
Collective bargaining is process of joint decision making and basically represents a democratic way of life in industry. It is the process of negotiation between firms and workers representatives for the purpose of establishing mutually agreeable conditions of employment. It is a technique adopted by two parties to reach an understanding acceptable to both through the process of discussion and negotiation.

 It is a collective process in which representatives of both the management and employees participate. It is a continuous process which aims at establishing stable relationships between the parties involved. It not only involves the bargaining agreement, but also involves the implementation of such an agreement. It attempts in achieving discipline in the industry It is a flexible approach, as the parties involved have to adopt a flexible attitude towards negotiations.

TRADE UNIONS
Trade union is an association either of employees or employers or of independent workers. It is a relatively permanent formation of workers. It is not a temporary or casual combination of workers.

It is formed for securing certain economic, social benefits to members.

OBJECTIVES OF TRADE UNION

Wages salaries Working conditions Discipline Personnel policies Welfare benefits Employee-employer relation Negotiating machinery Safeguarding organizational health and interest of the industry Legal assistance

STRUCTURE OF TRADE UNIONS

Plant level Unions Local Level federations Regional level federations National federations

WORKER PARTICIPATION IN MANAGEMENT

Worker participation in management means giving scope to workers to influence the managerial decision making process at different levels by various forms in an organization. The principal forms of worker participation are information sharing, joint consultation and decision making, suggestion schemes etc.

SIGNIFICANCE OF WORKER PARTICIPATION

Higher productivity Greater commitment Reduced industrial unrest Improved decisions Human resource management Reduced resistance to change

WHAT IS GRIEVANCE
Any discontent or dissatisfaction whether expressed or not , whether valid or not , arising out of anything connected with the company which an employee thinks , believes or even feels to be unfair or unjust.

CAUSES OF GRIEVANCE
Economic cause Work environment Supervision Work group Others such as promotion , fines , transfers , etc.

GRIEVANCES PROCEDURES
It is a formal communication between an employee and the management designed for the settlement of a grievance. It may vary from organization to organization. Consists of policies open door policy step ladder policy

GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL MACHINERY

Model for grievance procedure was drawn up in 16th session of Indian Labor Conference. This model helps in creation of grievance machinery. In this , management has to specify the persons in each department who are to be approached first and the departmental heads who are supposed to be approached in second step.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION
Purpose To motivate the employee to conform to the organizations performance standards.

Disciplinary problems faced by HR managers

attendance on the job behavior dishonesty off the job behavior

 Approaches to discipline employees incorrect discipline Preventive discipline Positive discipline

Various disciplinary actions Verbal warning, Written warming, Suspension Pay cut demotion and dismissal.